Spring is here and soon, you will be spending more time outdoors entertaining friends and family. Here are three recipes to help make you Spring get-togethers a sure-fire hit.
Boneless Stuffed Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
· 7-8 pound leg of lamb, butterfly-boned
· 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
· 1/4 cup currants
· 1/4 cup pine nuts
· 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
· 3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
· 1/2 pound Greek Feta cheese crumbled
· 1/2 kalamata olives, chopped
· 2 Tbsp dried, crushed rosemary
· 2 Tbsp olive oil
· juice from 1 lemon
· salt and pepper to taste
· butcher’s twinePreheat oven to 375 F.
Layout lamb, fat side down. Combine all spread and stuffing evenly along the center of the lamb. Fold 1 side of the lamb toward the center. Use the butcher’s twine to tie the lamb together.
Season the outer side of the lamb with salt and pepper. Cook lean side down for 1 hour 15 minutes until medium rare.
Brandy-Glazed Ham
Ingredients
· 1, 10 – 12 pound smoked ham, bone-in
· 6 cups dry read wine
· 6 cups water
· 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
· 3/4 tsp ground cloves
· 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
· 1/4 tsp ground ginger
· 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
· 1/4 tsp pepper
· 3 oz currant, pomegranate, or other tart jelly
· 1/4 cup scotch
· 1/4 cup brandy
· 1/4 cup brown sugar, well packedPreheat oven to 325 F.
Place ham in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven and cover the meat at least halfway with equal parts of wine and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, turn ham after about an hour.
In a saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients and heat until thickened, stirring well to blend.
Remove the ham from the pot and trim off all but 1/4 inch of fat. Score the ham well and place it on a rack in a baking pan with the scored side up. Do not let ham cool between the simmering and baking. Cover with 1/3 of the glaze and bake for 1 hour. Let ham stand for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Mini Potato-Apple Latkes with Sour Cream and Apple Salsa
Ingredients
· 2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
· 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
· 1 1/2 cups finely chopped, cored, peeled Fuji Apples (about 2 small apples0
· 3 large eggs
· 9 Tbsp all purpose flour
· 1 1/2 tsp salt
· 3/4 ground black pepper
· Vegetable oil (for frying)
· Sour cream
· Apple Salsa (see recipe)Line a large sieve with kitchen towels. Finely grate potatoes into towels. Gather potatoes in towel-like pouch and squeeze out all liquid. Place dry potatoes in a large bowl. Mix in onion, apples, eggs, flour, salt, and pepper.
Pour enough oil into a large, non-stick skillet and coat bottom. Heat over medium heat. For each latke, drop 1 generous tablespoon of batter into the skillet. Press batter with spatula to 1 1/2 inch round. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Drain off any liquid that accumulates in the batter and add more oil as needed.
Apple Salsa
Ingredients
· 2, 8 oz Fuji apples, peeled, cored, and diced
· 1, 8 oz Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
· 1 1/2 cup very coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
· 3 Tbsp honey
· 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
· 1/2 tsp ground cinnamonPlace all ingredients in a processor. Using on/off turns, chop finely but do not puree. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.